EU Parliament Committee Proposed Built-In Speed Limit for Vans

The European Parliament’s environment committee proposed the top speed of vans in the EU to be electronically limited at 120 km (75 miles) per hour.

This proposal is part of a debate on how to improve vehicles’ fuel efficiency and cut carbon emissions in Europe. If this proposal is approved by the EU member states, all automakers will have to fit all their new vans to be sold in the EU with electronic devices to restrict the speed, beginning with January 1st 2014.

The members of the environment committee also proposed a limit of 147 grams per km (g/km) carbon dioxide emission as an average for all new vans in the EU beginning with 2020 and reach 105 g/km to 120 g/km from 2025. German liberal politician Holger Krahmer, the leader of the debate on vans in the European Parliament, rejected the speed restriction but welcomed the 147 g/km target.

The European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association believes that the 147 g/km is extremely ambitious and that automakers could reach this goal only with hybrid vehicle technology, while environmental campaigners say that the goal is not ambitious enough, and that it can be easily reached by using more streamlining and lighter materials.